Religion connects people, their faith brings them together to collectively shape society. This is especially true in areas of the world where religious groups are the most important local institutions. Can these congregations contribute to sustainable development? And if so, what role do religion and religiousness play in this process of change? Researchers with the Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development (RCSD) are hoping to answer these questions.

Does the human need for faith and religion increase in times of crisis, such as the in the current corona pandemic? This assumption is widespread, indeed it has yet to be scientifically proven. While the Catholic Church in Austria registered fewer people renouncing the Church in 2020 than the previous year, it does not necessarily mean that religion is more important in times of crisis. Another question is: to what extent can religion and spirituality help us to tackle global crises? Can religion be a driver on the way to a sustainable future?

For Philipp Öhlmann there is no question. "With sustainability, it's about a very fundamental transformation, a change in awareness that comes with a shift in attitude and behaviour," says the economist. "And for such a shift in values, religion can be an important resource." This is especially true for countries where religion and community life shape people's day-to-day lives. For this reason, alongside religious scholar Marie-Luise Frost, theologian Ekkardt Sonntag and several other colleagues, he is researching this question with the Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development, using countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East as examples.

In the research project 'Driving Forces of Transformation – Religious Communities as Architects of Sustainable Development', which was launched in 2020 and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, questions are posed at individual, community and institutional levels: to what extend are individuals motivated to change their behaviour? How is this influenced by religion and society? How do religious groups operate as institutions? One of the researchers' initial hypotheses is that the topic of ecological sustainability plays a less important role, while questions of nutrition and education attract much more interest.

In South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, researchers interviewed community leaders about their responsibilities and goals, visited local communities and religious services. Most of the religious groups assessed were so-called African Initiated Churches. These are churches that have split from the Catholic or Protestant mission churches, or have been newly founded since the end of the 19th century, in the course of independence movements in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. By the beginning of the 1970s most of these were Pentecostal churches. Currently, Pentecostal churches are the fastest growing congregations in Africa and make up around a third of the Christian population.

The first evaluation of the interviews with community leaders suggests that, in fact, socio-economic objectives, rather than ecological sustainability, stand at the forefront. "It's about daily meals, a roof over one's head, but also education," says Philipp Öhlmann. This applies to both Christian, as well as Muslim communities. "Feeding the poor, educating orphans and supporting people, so that they can earn their own living, are among the traditional functions of the African Initiated Churches," notes Öhlmann. Indeed, their social engagement goes way beyond everyday charity. One of the largest independent churches, the Church of Pentecost in Ghana, founded the Pentecost University where many thousands of people are studying today. The Zion Christian Church finances hospitals in South Africa – it is the fastest growing independent church in the country.

Aside from these socio-economic issues, ecological sustainability concerns are becoming increasingly important, believes Philipp Öhlmann, and has examples ready. "We're seeing a paradigm shift. The umbrella organisation of independent churches is managing a program in East Africa, for example, which funds sustainable agriculture." In South Africa as well, the Bishop of the Zion Christian Church spoke out for the first time in 2019 about ecological sustainability and thereby fixed the topic as a central point within his church.

Similar to the way that churches and the faithful in Germany have expressed their desire for environmental protection and ecological sustainability with the concept of 'preserving creation' since the 1970s, the activities and goals of the independent African churches are embedded in a religious context. An example of this is the 'Prosperity Gospel', which is preached primarily in the Pentecostal churches and in the context of which, for example, business start-up seminars are held. "According to the Prosperity Gospel, it is God's will that the faithful should experience material prosperity. Education and a person's own initiative are strongly emphasised here," says Philipp Öhlmann. A fascinating, though still unanswered question, however, is in which ways this theology and the activities of the churches concretely affect the lives and actions of their members.

The fact that spirituality can have a strong impact is, according to Marie-Luise Frost, highlighted by the question of gender equality. "Women have continually founded their own churches," says the religious scholar. "They are following the 'Call of God', which is commonly associated with spiritual experiences, such as visions or out-of-body experiences. In this way, these women are establishing their legitimacy in a context which is often dominated by men." Most of the churches founded by women at the beginning of the 20th century, however, are now run by men. Whether this trend will repeat itself with newly founded churches is yet to be seen. Atinuke Abdulsalami stands as an example for this generation of female church founders. The Nigerian pastor founded the Divine Salvation Bible Church in the 1990s and still leads it herself today. As one of several members of the clergy of the African independent churches, she has been invited to lectures and conferences at the Theological Faculty by the religious scholars of the HU. "It's important to us that they can present their perspectives here themselves," stresses Marie-Luise Frost.

The fact that churches, which were founded by or are run by women, also contribute greatly to gender equality is by no means a given. "Many female church founders and leaders do stand against discrimination against women, and support them to take on leadership roles, both inside and outside of the Church, or to become financially independent. But the simple fact that a church was founded by a woman does necessarily mean that they are particularly committed to women's rights," maintains Marie-Luise Frost. Gender roles remain traditional in the majority of churches. Even in the interviews, most church leaders judged the Sustainable Development Goal of gender equality as significantly less important than combating poverty, or securing food, health and education. "But we also asked about tasks in the interviews, and here the support of widows was frequently mentioned," says Frost. Widows are among the most disadvantaged people in the societies of sub-Saharan Africa.

In order to get a more complete picture of sustainable development in practice in religious communities, the researchers want to extend their research to countries in the Middle East as a next step. The theologian Ekkardt Sonntag plans to conduct interviews in Lebanon and Iraq, as soon as the corona pandemic permits. "In Lebanon, the public debate about gender equality in civil issues such as inheritance and custody is currently particularly virulent, " says Sonntag. "It will be interesting to see where religious leaders stand on it."

• Anthology of essays, case studies and research articles from, among others, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and South Africa:: African Initiated Christianity and the Decolonisation of Development. Sustainable Development in Pentecostal and Independent Churches (open access)
• Pastor Atinuke Abdulsalami from Nigeria speaks at the series of lectures 'African Independent and Pentecostal Approaches to Theology and Development' by the Research Programme on Religious Communities and Sustainable Development (RCSD) about the role of women in African independent churches (6th June, 2018)
• Podcast from the HU's Sustainability Office – Talj about Thesis: Nora Milena Vehling about her master thesis for her Religion and Culture course, an analysis of sustainable development structures in the congregation of a township in Pretoria, South Africa
• Religion und Nachhaltigkeit - Twitter